Kathmandu Valley · Lumbini, Pashupatinath, Muktinath and the gompas
Spiritual and pilgrimage in Kathmandu Valley
The Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini, Shiva's temple at Pashupatinath, Muktinath sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike, Gosaikunda's high lake, Janakpur's Janaki Mandir and the monasteries of Khumbu and Mustang.
Trips
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,750 mBuddhist Kathmandu: Boudha to Namobuddha
Five nights following the Buddhist thread of the Kathmandu Valley: three at Boudhanath for dawn koras and monastery visits, Swayambhu and the …
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,420 mKathmandu stopover in two nights
Two nights in Kathmandu for travellers between flights or before a trek. See Swayambhu at sunset, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and the …
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,750 mKathmandu to Lumbini: the Buddha's path
An eight-night Buddhist pilgrimage that starts at the great stupas of the Kathmandu Valley and the hilltop shrine of Namobuddha, flies down …
Kathmandu Valleymax 1,540 mThe seven heritage zones of the Kathmandu Valley
Four nights, five days and all seven monument zones that make up the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site: the Durbar squares of …
Kathmandu Valleymax 2,175 mValley rim walk: Nagarkot to Panauti
Four nights and three walking days along the eastern rim of the Kathmandu Valley, from the Vishnu temple of Changu Narayan up …
Places
Kathmandu Valley1,370 mBoudhanath
The great white stupa where Tibet meets the Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley1,541 mChangunarayan
A hilltop Vishnu temple with Nepal's oldest dated inscription
Kathmandu Valley1,550 mDhulikhel
A Newar hill town facing the Himalaya, on the road to Namobuddha
Kathmandu Valley1,400 mKathmandu
Yen of the Newars: a capital built round one wooden pavilion
Kathmandu Valley1,330 mPashupatinath
Shiva's temple on the Bagmati, where Nepal comes to pray and to part
Kathmandu Valley1,350 mPatan
Yala, the city of metalworkers, courtyards and Buddhist bahals
Kathmandu Valley1,450 mPharping
Guru Rinpoche's caves and the gorge of Dakshinkali on the southern rim
Kathmandu Valley1,420 mSwayambhunath
The self-born stupa on the hill where the valley's story begins
Experiences
SpiritualDawn kora with the pilgrims of Boudha
Walk three slow circuits round the great stupa at first light with Tibetan families, monks and neighbours. We explain the …
SpiritualSit in on a Tibetan monastery puja
Visit two of Boudha's monasteries during prayers: deep chanting, long horns, drums and butter lamps. We explain the main images, …
CraftWatch thangka painters at work in Boudha
Visit a working thangka studio near the stupa where painters grind mineral pigments and paint Buddhist scrolls by hand. Learn …
Slow daysWalk up to Kopan for quiet and valley views
A gentle walk from the stupa up to Kopan Monastery on its hill north of Boudha, through lanes and fields. …
HeritageRead Changunarayan's Licchavi stones with a guide
A close look at the temple courtyard with a guide who knows its sculptures: Manadeva's 464 CE pillar, the kneeling …
TrekkingWalk from Changunarayan down to Bhaktapur
After the temple, walk down through Changu village, terraced fields and small settlements, cross the Manohara river and enter Bhaktapur's …
TrekkingNagarkot to Changunarayan along the ridge
After a Nagarkot sunrise, walk west along the ridge via Telkot through pine forest and villages, then down to Changunarayan. …
HeritageChangu village, its museums and tea shops
Explore the short cobbled street below the temple: rebuilt brick houses, small family-run museums of farming tools, coins and household …
Stays
heritage hotel1,400 mDwarika's Hotel
A heritage hotel at Battisputali, near Pashupatinath, built around brick courtyards and fitted with carved Newar windows, doors and struts …
city hotel1,400 mHotel Yak & Yeti
A large city hotel on Durbar Marg, built around part of a 19th-century Rana palace, with gardens, a pool and …
heritage hotel1,400 mHotel Shanker
A Rana-era palace in Lazimpat converted into a hotel, with a white neoclassical facade, high-ceilinged halls and a large garden …
city hotel1,400 mKathmandu Guest House
One of the first guesthouses in Thamel, opened in the late 1960s, and the place many say started the area's …
resort1,400 mGokarna Forest Resort
A resort inside the Gokarna forest, a former royal hunting reserve on the north-eastern edge of Kathmandu, with an 18-hole …
resort1,550 mDwarika's Resort Dhulikhel
A wellness-focused resort from the family behind Dwarika's Hotel, set on terraced hillside outside Dhulikhel with views of the Himalaya. …